Best Tomato Grits Recipes

PAULA DEEN'S TOMATO GRITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add the salt and slowly add the grits and return to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. While stirring the grits add the 1/2 cup of butter and stir until butter is melted. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Using a skillet, sauté the onions in the remaining tablespoon of butter for 1 minute. Add the processed cheese, garlic powder, 1 1/2 cups Cheddar, and onions to grits, and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Pour the grits into a greased 8 by 11 by 2-inch casserole and bake for 40 minutes.
• Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over the casserole for the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

SOUTHERN-STYLE BIRDS IN A NEST WITH BUTTER GRITS, GREENS WITH BACON, OVER-EASY QUAIL EGGS AND GREEN TOMATO AND GREEN APPLE CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For the chutney: Combine the green tomatoes, brown sugar, cider vinegar, curry powder, mustard seeds, fennel pollen, allspice, ginger, apple and red onion in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes. Taste and thin with chicken stock as desired. Adjust the seasonings to taste.
• For the greens and bacon: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp; remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the chard and beet greens and let wilt for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with vinegar, then add the sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste, and a dash of hot sauce. Add some of the bacon back to the pan, and combine. Use the remaining bacon as garnish.
• For the butter grits: In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a boil. Add the grits and bring to a simmer. Stir, then partially cover, and cook, whisking occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
• Add in 1/2 cup milk, whisk and partially cover. Cook, whisking occasionally, for another 15 minutes.
• Add in the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cook partially covered, whisking occasionally, another 15 minutes.
• Add the remaining tablespoon butter and season to taste with salt. Use additional stock to adjust the consistency as needed. Serve the grits with the quail eggs.

CREAMY GRITS WITH TOMATO GRAVY AND GREENS

Steps:

• For the grits: Bring the milk and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the grits, stirring with a fork to prevent any lumps from forming. Once the grits have started to thicken, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• For the tomato gravy: Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the grape tomatoes, sugar and garlic and cook until the tomatoes start to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter; let melt. Stir in flour and cook until starting to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the broth, tomato paste, salt and pepper until smooth. Continue cooking until the mixture comes to a boil; it will thicken as it heats. When thick like a gravy, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.
• Serve the warm grits in shallow bowls, topped with tomato gravy and collard greens.
• Prepare the collards for cooking by cutting the large stems from the center of the leaves. Stack the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1-inch strips
• Put 2 inches of water in a saucepan large enough to hold the raw collards (the leaves can be pushed down tightly and will wilt to about one-quarter volume as they cook). Add the ham hock or pork and bring the water to a boil. Add the collards and toss with tongs until the water returns to a boil and the leaves wilt down into the pan. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until tender. Stir occasionally, checking to be sure there is enough liquid to prevent scorching. Taste the liquid and add salt if needed. Serve with buttermilk cornbread and hot sauce.

SHRIMP AND GRITS WITH CREAMED SPINACH, TOMATO CONFIT AND SMOKED BACON GASTRIQUE

Steps:

• For the tomato confit: Preheat the oven to 220 degrees F. Combine the grape tomatoes, green tomato, red onion, garlic, bacon fat, olive oil, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, sage and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar in a small casserole dish. Cover the casserole with foil and place it in the center oven rack. Let cook for at least 2 hours. Carefully remove the foil and inspect the confit: The grape tomatoes should be wilted, but not popped, and the red onions should be nice and brightly translucent. Discard the herb sprigs and bay leaves and keep the confit covered near the stove until ready to plate.
• For the shrimp: Heat an 11-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and keep dry. Warm the butter in the pan. In batches, sear the shrimp on both sides for 2 minutes in butter. Transfer the shrimp to a plate and keep warm. Reserve the pan and drippings for the spinach.
• For the grits: Combine the cream, chicken broth, corn stock, butter, thyme and garlic in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until boiling. Season the liquid lightly with salt. Slowly stir the grits into the liquid. Once all the grits are incorporated, turn the heat down to low and cook, stirring every minute or so, until cooked, about 10 minutes. You will know the grits are done when there's still a little texture, but the grains don't stick to your teeth. Finish with some cracked black pepper and cover until plating. If the grits become thick after standing, adding warm chicken stock will help to thin them.
• For the shrimp creamed spinach: Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 cups of the reserved shrimp shells and sear until the shells are bright and release a nice shellfish aroma, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Vidalia onion, bay leaf and 1 tablespoon of the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, add the cream and simmer until thickened and reduced slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Strain through a mesh strainer and reserve.
• Bring a medium pot half full of salted water to a boil. In the meantime, place a large bowl of ice water nearby. When the water is boiling, add the spinach and blanch for about 30 seconds. Use tongs and carefully remove the spinach to the ice water. Drain with a colander and set aside to let dry for a few minutes.
• In the same pan used to sear the shrimp, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and cook until just beginning to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic and the shrimp cream and cook until the cream thickens.
• For the bacon gastrique: Cook the bacon in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat until almost crispy, about 10 minutes.
• Add the onion and garlic and sweat lightly over medium heat until translucent. Add the brown sugar, Marsala, sherry wine and vinegar and cook until reduced, about 15 minutes, then taste. The gastrique should be rather on the thin side--chunky and sweet with a nice acidity and dark in color. Cover and keep warm until ready to plate.
• To serve: Scoop about 1 cup grits each in the center of 4 entree bowls. Divide the cream spinach among the bowls, placing it in the middle, standing tall on the grits. Arrange 6 to 8 shrimp around the spinach in each bowl. Next, spoon the warm confit tomato on top of the cream spinach. Finish with a spoon of the smoked bacon gastrique around the edge of the bowl.

TOMATO GRITS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly grease a 9"x11" casserole dish.
• Bring water and milk to boil in medium saucepan.
• Add salt and slowly STIR in grits; return to boil.
• Stir grits for one full minute.
• Reduce heat, cover and cook for three minutes.
• Stir and add the stick of butter, stirring until it melts.
• Cover and cook 3-5 minutes more or until grits are thick and creamy.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Saute onions in remaining butter; add garlic cheese, 1 1/2 cup of the cheddar cheese and the sauteed onions to grits and stir until cheese is melted.
• Add tomatoes and mix well.
• Stirring constantly, add small amount of hot grits mixture to beaten eggs before adding the eggs to the full mixture.
• Pour into prepared casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes.
• Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheddar cheese and cook an additional 5 minutes to allow cheese to melt.

SHRIMP AND GRITS WITH ROASTED TOMATO, FENNEL AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• For the roasted tomato: heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss tomato halves in a bowl with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer, cut side up, to a baking sheet. Roast until collapsed and lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes, and set aside.
• For the fennel: In a small saucepan, combine the fennel, half of the reserved fronds, and just enough broth or water to cover. Add butter and season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to very low, and simmer until tender when pierced by a fork, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer fennel to a plate, discard cooked fronds and reserve cooking liquid.
• For the grits: Follow package instructions for cooking the grits, seasoning with salt to taste, and adding the bay leaf halfway through cooking. At the end of cooking, mix grits with butter, cream cheese, white pepper, lemon juice and hot sauce. Adjust salt as needed. About 15 minutes before the grits are finished cooking, prepare the shrimp and assemble the dish.
• For shrimp and assembly: Place a large sauté pan over medium heat, and add the oil. When the oil is shimmering, add the shrimp in a single layer. When they are seared on one side, about 1 minute, turn them to sear on the other side. Add fennel, sausage, roasted tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of the reserved fennel cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer and season with lemon juice, hot sauce and salt. If the mixture seems dry, add more fennel cooking liquid as desired. Add chopped parsley, and toss to mix.
• To serve, place equal portions of grits on four rimmed plates or shallow soup plates. Divide the shrimp stew among the plates, garnish with remaining fennel fronds and serve.

CREAMY RICE GRITS WITH TOMATO RELISH

Steps:

• HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN RICE GRITS: Although you can order Carolina Gold Rice Grits online you can also make your own. "To do so, freeze your favorite good-quality long-grain rice (I bought organic standard long grain white rice) for 30 minutes to make it brittle. Then, working in batches, grind it a few times in a spice mill until the grains are very coarsely ground into rough, uneven pieces about a third of the original grain's size. Transfer the mixture to a medium strainer set over a bowl to sift out the "dust," then use the remaining pieces in any recipe that calls for rice grits." CG says ^^this step was easier said than done. My version was much easier: after removing the rice from the freezer I ground the rice to the same consistency as regular (corn) grits that they were virtually identical in appearance except for those little black specks in corn grits. If you don't know what traditional grits look like, go to Google and search for an image to guide you. I skipped the strainer part, too. (Uh, CG -- I must ask -- Isn't this in essence Cream of Rice™? Yes, but it's glorified Cream of Rice™, I answer!).
• Mix tomatoes and shallot in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
• Bring 12 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan.
• Stir in grits and season with salt. Reduce heat to medium; simmer grits until almost tender, about 15 minutes.
• Drain, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid; return liquid and grits to saucepan. Another Note: because of the manner in which I ground the rice there was no liquid left to drain. I cooked the rice as indicated in Step # above, then another 5-6 minutes as directed in the following Step.
• Stir over medium heat until creamy, 5-6 minutes.
• Add cheese and butter; stir to melt. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer to a large wide bowl, forming a well in center.
• Stir olive oil into tomato mixture; pour into well.

TOMATO GRITS WITH FRIED EGGS

Steps:

• Grate 3 tomatoes into a bowl, discarding any remaining skin. Chop the remaining tomato and set aside. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the grits and the grated tomatoes; reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate; discard all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the skillet. Let the bacon cool slightly, then crumble. Heat the bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Crack in the eggs and cook until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to desired doneness, 2 to 5 minutes.
• Top each serving of grits with bacon, chopped tomato, cheese and a fried egg; season with salt and pepper.

DECONSTRUCTED ROASTED TOMATO GRITS AND SHRIMP, WITH SAUTEED BABY MUSTARD GREENS AND BACON "CONFIT"

Steps:

• For the bacon confit: Blot the bacon with paper towels and place in a small roasting dish Combine the cinnamon, cloves, pepper and thyme in a small bowl. Rub the bacon with the spice mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours.
• Melt the bacon fat in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the bacon and cook slowly until golden brown and crisp on one side, about 10 minutes. Turn the bacon and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the bacon until crisp, about 10 more minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl, drizzle with a splash of vinegar and garnish with parsley. Reserve the bacon fat for the mustard greens.
• For the roasted tomatoes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Mix together the oil, thyme and some salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish and drizzle with the oil mixture. Then sprinkle with the sugar. Bake the tomatoes until they are completely softened and start to wrinkle, 30 to 40 minutes.
• For the cheese grits: Bring 6 cups of water and the milk to a boil in a medium saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking constantly. Cook until mixture is thick and tender, about 30 minutes, adding more water, if needed. Mix in the Cheddar and Pecorino-Romano until thoroughly incorporated. Season with some salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.
• For the sauteed baby mustard greens: Heat the butter and 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook until the garlic is softened, about 1 minute. Add the mustard greens and season with salt and pepper. Toss just to coat with the fat. Add a splash of water and cook until the greens are just wilted, about 2 minutes.
• For the shrimp: Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add 8 to 10 shrimp, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until well-seared and crisp but just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
• On a serving platter or individual plates, spoon and slightly spread a mound of hot grits (if they have gotten too stiff, thin them a bit by whisking in hot water over low heat). Spoon the tomatoes on top, then add the greens and bacon. Top with the shrimp.

LOLA SHRIMP AND PARMESAN POLENTA GRITS WITH TOMATO BASIL CONCASSE

Steps:

• For the shrimp sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onions and turkey bacon for 3 minutes. Add the garlic, clam juice, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning and sugar. Simmer for 25 minutes.
• Sprinkle the shrimp with salt, pepper and the smoked paprika. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat and saute the shrimp for 1 minute. Transfer the shrimp to the tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
• For the polenta: Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in the polenta and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, butter and lemon zest. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• To serve: Divide the polenta between shallow serving bowls and top each with some shrimp and sauce. Garnish with the turkey bacon and parsley.

TOMATO GRITS CASSEROLE

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350. Lightly grease a shallow 2 qt. baking dish. Bring 2 cups water and the milk to a boil in large saucepan.
• 2. Add salt and then slowly add grits and return to boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Reduce heat, cover and cook 3 minutes. Add stick of butter, stir till melted; Cover & cook 3-5 minutes, until thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.
• 3. Melt remaining 1 T. butter in skillet, add scallions and saute 1 minute, add to grits along with the garlic and 1 1/2 cups cheese. Stir till cheese melts.
• 4. Add tomatoes, mix well. Pour into baking dish. Bake 40 minutes, sprinkling with rest of cheese last 5 minutes. Bake at 350-375 till bubbly and lightly browned and knife comes out clean.

SRIRACHA TOMATO SHRIMP AND GRITS

Steps:

• Grits: Heat olive oil in a large pot on high heat; add the onions and brown. Add water and bring to a boil. Slowly stir in grits and cook on medium heat until they are cooked, about 45 minutes. Finish with butter, cheese, salt and pepper; keep warm.
• Shrimp: Heat olive oil in a large saute pan on high heat. Add onions, peppers and sausage and saute for 5 to 6 minutes. Next, add shrimp and cook until they are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Finish by stirring in diced tomatoes, Sriracha, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.
• Serve the shrimp over the cheesy grits.

BAKED TOMATO GRITS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch cast iron skillet.
• Add the 2 tablespoons of butter to a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter foams, add the shallots and garlic and saute until tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the chicken broth, and whipping cream and bring to a simmer.
• Once simmering, slowly and gradually whisk in the grits. Keep stirring until the grits become thick, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir until thoroughly mixed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Add the grits to the prepared skillet and top with the crumbled goat cheese. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Slice into triangles and serve.

GRITS WITH SUN-DRIED TOMATO PESTO AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°; spray two 2 cup single-serving casseroles or baking dishes with cooking spray.
• Bring stock, butter and garlic to a boil; whisk in grits gradually until bubbling; reduce heat to moderately low, cover and simmer for 8 minutes, whisking frequently.
• Whisk in 1/2 cup half-and-half and simmer another 5 minutes, whisking frequently; add remaining half-and-half and simmer another 5 minutes,whisking often, until very thick.
• Stir in pesto and thyme; scatter the goat cheese over the surface and bake 15 minutes, until cheese softens; garnish with chives and serve immediately.

SHRIMP AND GRITS WITH ROASTED TOMATO, FENNEL, AND SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• In a bowl, combine tomato, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper; toss well.
• Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet; roast until they collapse and are lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes, then set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine fennel, half the reserved fronds, and enough water or broth just to cover; add butter and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook until fork tender, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to a plate, discard cooked fronds, but reserve the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, prepare the grits according to the package directions, seasoning with salt and adding a bay leaf halfway through cooking; once cooked, mix the grits with butter, cream cheese, pepper, lemon juice, and hot sauce.
• Prepare the shrimp about 15 minutes before the grits are done by heating a large skillet or saute pan over medium heat, add oil, and sear shrimp 1 minute per side; add the fennel, sausage, roasted tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups of the reserved fennel cooking liquid.
• Bring to a simmer, stir in lemon juice, hot sauce, salt and chopped parsley(add more fennel cooking liquid if it seem too dry).
• To serve, divide grits among shallow soup plates, top with shrimp mixture, and garnish with uncooked fennel fronds.

HOT TOMATO GRITS

Steps:

• Cook chopped bacon in large heavy saucepan until crisp. Gradually add chicken broth and salt, bring to a boil. Stir in grits, tomatoes and chilies and return to a boil stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer 15 - 20 minutes. Stir in cheese, cover and let stand 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

CREAMY RICE GRITS WITH TOMATO RELISH

Steps:

• Mix tomatoes and shallot in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Bring 12 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Stir in grits and season with salt. Reduce heat to medium; simmer grits until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid; return liquid and grits to saucepan. Stir over medium heat until creamy, 5-6 minutes. Add cheese and butter; stir to melt. Stir in lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large wide bowl, forming a well in center. Stir oil into tomato mixture; pour into well.

SPICY SHRIMP AND GRITS WITH TOMATO AND COUNTRY HAM

Steps:

• For the grits:.
• Rinse the grits in a large bowl of water. With your hand, scoop out any bran or hulls floating on top of the water. Drain well.
• Combine the water, salt and butter in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the grits and stir. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 28 to 40 minutes (check instruction on the bag of grits), stirring occasionally. If the grits stick to the bottom of the pan, reduce the heat and stir more frequently.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Keep warm.
• For the shrimp:.
• While the grits are cooking, peel and devein the shrimp. If desired, swish the shrimp in a bowl of cool, salted water to remove any impurities. Repeat. Finish with a cool water rinse, drain and set aside.
• When the grits are ready, prepare the topping. In a large skillet, sauté the shrimp in a tablespoon of butter over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
• In the same skillet, sauté the country ham and sausage for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through.
• Add the garlic and cayenne, if using, and sauté 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and green onions and sauté 30 seconds.
• Return the shrimp to the skillet, add water or chicken broth and simmer briefly. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
• To serve, spoon four equal portions of the grits into four bowls. Place 5 or 6 shrimp on top of each portion of grits and spoon on equal parts of the topping, including some of the liquid. Serve at once.

COUNTRY HAM & GOUDA GRITS W/ TOMATO GRAVY

Steps:

• Prepare Ham & Grits: Sauté diced ham in small skillet over medium heat. Bring cream, next 2 ingredients and 3 cups water to boil.

CORN GRITS WITH TOMATO STEW

Steps:

• Method for grits Place cobs and cream into a pot and bring to a boil, remove and let steep for 30 minutes strain corn cream and add some kernels, 1/4C.. puree bring cream back to boil and add grits, stir and cook until thick, then salt and pepper Method for Tomato Corn Stew melt butter, garlic, tomatoes on medium heat cook for 5 minutes and add corn cook for 3 more minutes, season with salt and pepper, add truffle oil Serve over grits